F1 must conquer the Nordschleife

After Porsche unofficially shattered the Nurburgring Nordschleife lap record, it could be argued that Formula 1 needs to hit back and live up to its self-promoted reputation

Formula 1's mission statement is "to unleash the greatest racing spectacle on the planet". So to see Porsche and, by association, the World Endurance Championship that the marque has forsaken, steal its thunder by unofficially breaking Stefan Bellof's legendary Nurburgring Nordschleife lap record will have stung.

The Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo is, to co-opt another of F1's marketing slogans, a brilliant piece of "engineered insanity". The feat of lapping almost a minute faster than the record at the 'Ring is exactly what F1 not only should be doing, but explicitly wants to do.